A perfect combination:

¡LatinFood Fest! & Five Star Tours

As if there’s not enough to do in August in San Diego, here are two to add to your “must do” list.

The ¡Latin Food Fest! is one of my favorite events in San Diego. This fourth annual spectacular culinary celebration will be at the Embarcadero Marina Park North in San Diego, Aug. 12 – 15. The Grande Tasting will feature 150 restaurants, artisanal foods makers and renowned wine and spirit purveyors. Attendees will graze through scores of food stations with samplings by Agave Del Mar, HUMO, Cafe Sevilla, Cafe Secret, Fogo de Chao, Tacos Kokopeli, Aqui es Texcoco, Sirena Seafood, Cien Anos, Uptown Tavern, Indigo Grill, Don Chido, The Hopping Pig and Peohe’s. Additionally, local and internationally known chefs show off their talents offering tastings, preparing dinners and signing cookbooks. Go. You won’t be sorry. For details concerning this all-inclusive priced extravaganza, logon to www.latinfoodfest.com.

My day-long Baja adventure with Five Star Tours (TripAdvisor’s No. 1 tour company in San Diego) began at their office in downtown’s historic Santa Fe Railroad Depot. Crossing the border to Mexico brought back fond memories of when my kids were young and we visited often.

Driving through Tijuana, we saw the Cultural Center and several commemorative statues on our way to the heart of the city, Avenida Revolution. We visited a liquor store for tequila tasting. After bravely working my way through our first stop, I wandered around taking in the sights, sounds and colors. Heading south in the van, we visited a picturesque fishing village for a photo op, then we enjoyed a wonderful lobster lunch in Puerto Nuevo. Although included in the price of the tour, it’s interesting to note that $20 US gets you 1.5 lobsters, a margarita, rice and beans, plus chips and fresh salsa.

On the road once more, we pulled off the scenic highway at El Mirador. There, I noticed giant “circles” floating on the ocean surface. They are net cages where fishermen hold valuable yellowtail and blue fin tuna before processing. In Ensenada, I headed for Mercado Negro to see the locals’ catch of the day and then walked along the picturesque Malecon and side streets. At day’s end, we made it back across the US border in 20 minutes via Otay Mesa. For information go to www.fivestartours.com. Don’t forget your passport!

Special notes

Originally, there was Alta and Baja (upper and lower) California. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ceded Alta California to the USA; Baja remained part of Mexico. Surprisingly, Tijuana is only 104 years old. It is the 4th largest city in Mexico, with 7 million residents

Parking can be a challenge in San Diego, but Ace Parking has 90 locations around town. A list of their lots can be found at www.aceparking.com.

Private First Class Lewellen was at a phone shop in San Diego while on liberty over labor day weekend when he heard a woman yell out from the parking area. He immediately sprang into action and ran to the woman. He cleared her child's airway and administered aid until an ambulance arrived. The EMTs who arrived later said his actions likely saved the child's life. Bravo Zulu Marine! ... See MoreSee Less